Chapter Erragon to Errors of Authors of E by Brewer's Readers Handbook

The duke of Buckingham is arrayed in the costume of a Roman emperor, and his head in the court dress of George I. period.

(11) Wilkie has painted a horse, without a bit, foaming at the mouth.

Errors of Authors. (See Anachronisms, p. 39.)

(1) Ash. “Esoteric, an incorrect spelling for exoteric,” “Gawain, sister of Arthur.”—Dictionary.

(2) Allison (Sir Archibald) says, “Sir Peregrine Pickle was one of the pall-bearers of the duke of Wellington.”—Life of Lord Castlereagh.

(He meant Sir Peregrine Maitland.)

In his History of Europe, the phrase droit de timbre (“stamp duty”) he translates “timber duties.”

Of a piece with this translation is Archdall’s rendering of “cloche.” Among the relics destroyed by the Danes in Ireland in the tenth century was a pastoral staff of the patron saint of Slane, and (says Archdall) “the best clock [cloche] in Ireland.” Of course cloche means a bell.—Monasticon Hibernicon.

(3) Arnold (Matthew, in his Philomela, makes Procnê the “dumb sister;” but it was the tongue of Philomela that Tereus (2 syl.) cut out, to prevent her telling his wife Procnê of his licentiousviolence.

Dost thou again peruse
With hot cheeks and scared eyes
The too clear web and thy dear sister’s shame?

These words might be addressed to his wife Procnê, but could not possibly be addressed to Philomel.

(4) Articles of War for the Army. It is ordered “that every recruit shall have the 40th of the 46th of the articles read to him” (art. iii.). The 46th relates to Chaplains; the 41st is meant, which is about mutiny.

51 Edward III. assumes there are 40,000 parishes in England, instead of 8600.

(5) Barnes, in his History of Edward III., tells us that the earl of Leicester, “who was almost blind with age,” flung up his cap for joy when he heard of the arrest of Mortimer, in 1330. “Old Leicester,” however, was only 43 at the time.

(6) Browne (William). Appellês’ Curtain. W. Browne says—

If … I set my pencil to Apellês tabl [painting],
Or dare to draw his curtain.
   —Britannia’s Pastorals, ii. 2.

This curtain was not drawn by Appelles, but by Parrhasios, who lived a full century before Apelles. The contest was between Zeuxis and Parrhasios. The former exhibited a bunch of grapes which deceived the birds, and the latter a curtain which deceived Zeuxis.

(7) Bruyssel (E. von) says, “According to Homer, Achillês had a vulnerable heel.” It is a vulgar error to attribute this myth to Homer. The blind old bard nowhere says a word about it. The story of dipping Achillês in the river Styx is altogether post-Homeric.

(8) Buffon says the flowers of America are beautiful, but without perfume; and the birds gay in plumage, but without song. Captain Mayne Reid, in his Wartrail, xlv., says of Buffon, “You could never have approached within 200 yards of a Stanhopia, of the Epidendrum odoratum, of the Dictura grandiflora, with its mantle of snow-white blossoms. You could never have passed near the pothos plant, the serbereæ and tabernamontaneæ, the cullas, eugenias, ocotas, and nitiginas. You could never have ridden through a chapparal of acacias, and mimosas, You or among orchids, whose presence fills whole forests with fragrance.”